A Good Career Feeling

When things go well at work, you get a good feeling.

We all know the feeling and there are plenty of ways to describe it: satisfaction, fulfilment, self-worth, happiness, success.

But what actually gives us this feeling?

Where does it come from?

When have you had it in the past?

What can give it to you again in the future?

Nothing like a load of questions to kill a good feeling...

You don't have to be an explorer to explore

[Rough Waters=Beautiful Skies: see more at Saundra's Flickr Photostream here]

...Unless they are questions that help you explore your career for satisfaction and success.

Questions like the ones above are worth asking because they have the power to turn a good career feeling into something a little more substantial. Something you can begin to understand, find evidence for, even seek as your answers become more familiar to you.

If you know the feeling I'm talking about, if you have experienced it briefly or even only once in your career before now, you have some real evidence to focus your questions on.

What work were you doing at the time?

Who were you doing it with?

What could have made that feeling last longer?

What would have killed it stone dead?

I hope you do choose to think about the good feelings your career has given you. And how your career always has the potential to give them to you again in the future. Only one person will benefit if you do.

All my best to you for now,

Paul

Research not Job Search

The label we give something affects our attitude towards it. If this wasn’t true, the trillions of dollars spent each year on branding would be completely wasted.

(Related Geek Stat: In 2008, the combined value of the 100 most powerful brands in the world was $1.94 trillion. Source: BrandZ Top 100 2008 Report, Millward Brown).

Job Search, Job Seeking, Looking for Work - it doesn’t matter which label you choose, they all speak of a necessary evil, not a positive process.

Thinking about ‘Research’ instead of ‘Job Search’ isn’t an act of spin or re-branding. Research is simply a better label for the tasks we need to undertake in order to achieve the most successful career outcome when we are looking for work.

[A corny image of the road ahead often represents career planning & job search. Gimme a break!]

Here’s a quick like-for-like comparison:

- Research is a skill you can learn. Job Search lacks professional structure & discipline.
- Research aims to understand & resolve complex problems. Job Search lumps all of the issues together and expects them to be solved in one hit.
- Research ensures every event, encounter, success & failure shapes its conclusion. Job Search dismisses most of our experiences as failures.
- Research can be an ongoing process that delivers continuous value. Job Search we can’t wait to get over.

It is Research not Job Search that is more likely to deliver success in your next career move. Perhaps Job Search is something we can avoid after all!

Have a great weekend wherever you are!

Best Regards

Paul

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Here are some more posts on the role research plays in career management:

Expectation

You’re way ahead, you just don’t know it yet...

Making contact

Momentum

When no means know

Test, re-test and test again